Google Fi SIM cards now available at Best Buy stores

In a first for the carrier, you can now purchase SIM cards for Google’s Wi-Fi network at a brick-and-mortar store.

Originally known as Project Fi when it first launched, Google Fi is expanding its SIM card availability.

Josh Miller/CNET

SIM cards for Google Fi, Google’s own Wi-Fi-first phone network, will now be available in over 500 Best Buy locations, Google announced Monday. Launched to the public in 2016, Google Fi has mostly operated online, sending its SIM cards through the mail. The fact that users can now purchase its SIM cards at another major retailer in brick-and-mortar stores is a notable change that will broaden the reach and accessibility of the network.

The SIMs cost $9.99 and include a $10 credit to your phone bill, according to Google’s community blog post. Best Buy will only carry SIM cards for Google Fi Talk & Text service, so if you want a data-only SIM, you’ll have to purchase it through Google Fi’s site. Best Buy employees will not assist with the activation process.

Google Fi works on a number of devices in the US, including iPhones, Samsung Galaxy and OnePlus phones. Unlike most major carriers, Fi uses local Wi-Fi networks first (the same kind you set up at home, or connect to at a coffee shop or airport) to patch calls, send texts and browse the internet. If Wi-Fi coverage is not available or too weak, the network will then switch to US carriers T-Mobile, Sprint or US Cellular’s networks.